AEW Beach Break 2021
February 3rd, 2021
Daily's Place - Jacksonville, FL
Commentators - Excalibur, Jim Ross, & Tony Schiavone
As always, AEW does an awesome job with these battle royals. Jungle Boy & Luchasarus get the first entrance of the evening which felt big coming off the amazing match Jungle Boy had with Dax Harwood last week. FTR were banned from this match because of their post match actions. Anyway, the Bucks come out last and dive onto all the other teams on the floor to start this thing in chaos. As said before though, they did a great job with this, touching on multiple stories throughout including Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows showing up to help The Bucks eliminate Private Party. Nick looks confused when they do. That’s advancement of two stories in that moment alone as Private Party are the #1 Contender’s to The Good Brother’s Impact Wrestling Tag Team Titles. Later in the match, MJF & Sammy Guevara come face to face further teasing their tension. Sammy cheers when MJF is eliminated then joins former partner and stable mate Jericho in going after the only other remaining man Darius Martin of Top Flight. Martin manages to get Guevara out only to fall to Jericho in the end with a Judas effect knocking him off the apron. Jericho & MJF win and will face The Young Bucks at Revolution... I swear if Jericho & MJF win those belts.. fuck that. I like the Inner Circle tension story and Jericho/MJF are fine together, but man.. I feel like they could accomplish what they need to without throwing Jericho & MJF ahead of every other team immediately.
Match rating - **1/2
Video package airs of Jade Cargill, hyping her up with her big in ring debut coming soon against Cody & Red Velvet. It basically just shows her working out and yeah.
Tony Schiavone is in the ring and it’s time for our weekly Sting appearance I guess. It’s so formulaic and I hate it. Darby Allin is out first and it rules. Schiavone introducing Sting is still so sick even though it feels like we haven’t moved forward much since a week or two after his debut. This follows the usual routine as Taz interrupts. He, Cage, Starks, Hobbs, & Hook are together in the parking lot. They were banned from the building after what they did to the merch guys last week. I’ve said it before, but Team Taz looks so good together. A straight until. Starks gets the mic and says Sting isn’t what he used to be and tells Darby that they will be there next week for his title defense against Joey Janela. Sting’s response is that he will be there too and if Starks says he can’t see the old Sting when he looks in his eyes, “maybe you should take a closer look.” Okay that was kinda great. Probably my favorite promo/segment of this feud so far.
2) Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa
One of the better women’s matches in Dynamite history. They got out of the routine positioning of the women on the card by placing this right before the top of the second hour which helped my motivation in caring about this. This has been a decently built thing, though. Baker says she’s the face of AEW’s women’s division and Thunder Rosa is from NWA and Baker says she doesn’t belong. This is a pretty fun little match with some nice reversals and near falls down the stretch. Rebel tries to interfere but fails. Well, sorta. Ref throws her out, but Baker uses the turnbuckle she exposed to knock Rosa loopy and lock her in the lockjaw submission for the win.
Match rating - ***
Backstage segment from last week with Hangman Page being super weird about not teaming with Matt Hardy, but Hardy convinces him to against the Chaos Project and that is next! Hardy insists he has no alterior motives.
3) Hangman Adam Page & Matt Hardy vs. Chaos Project (Luther & Serpentico)
This was the only kinda dud of the night. Page is fun to see, but I think everyone knew this would be a squash. Best part was Luther eating shit from the apron to the floor before Page hits the buckshot lariat on Serpentico and... Matt Hardy tags himself in to get the pin. I really don’t care for Matt in this role. Sheesh.
Match rating - *1/2
Chris Jericho & MJF are celebrating their victory in the tag team battle royal. But when they enter the Inner Circle locker room they aren’t met with much excitement. Sammy Guevara speaks his mind about them always being collateral damage and leaves the room. Jericho follows and MJF takes the time to close the door and have a “talk” with the rest of the Inner Circle.
Backstage, Miro, Chuck Taylor & crew are getting ready for the wedding of Kip Sabian & Penelope Ford up next!! Vickie Guerrero walks up and tells Kip it’s time to go out!
The wedding takes place. Jerry Lynn walks Penelope to the ring. JAMES MITCHELL, the sinister minister is officiating. They do their vows and do the kiss etc etc. Miro notices a gift in the corner for Chuck or.. Charles Taylor and destroys it because he thinks something is up. Miro then continues his post wedding speech or whatever. He says let’s eat some cake, but surprise surprise he’s been shackled to the ring rope somehow. Chuck right hands Kip. Miro grabs Chuck and Kip goes to hit him, but Chuck ducks and KIP HITS MIRO. Shits all fucked up, Kip is yelling that Chuck ruined everything aND ORANGE CASSIDY POPS FROM OUT OF THE CAKE AND THEY LAY OUT KIP. I love it!!
On March 3rd - Cody Rhodes & Red Velvet vs. Shaq & Jade Cargill. They show a clip of Shaq talking shit about Cody on TNT’s sports show or something. He even demonstrates what looked like a half ass spinning back fist as his “favorite move.” I’m most excited for this match because of Red Velvet.
4) Lance Archer vs. Eddie Kingston - Lumberjack Match
Lord have mercy, Archer charges King at the bell. Hot start with the best moment early being King swinging at the lumberjacks when he gets thrown out and starting a huge brawl. I love him so much. Back from commercial, a few moments in and Archer has Bunny up for a big move and she’s screaming. EDDIE WITH THE BACKFIST SAVE. Meanwhile outside the ring “Jake Roberts just decked Angelico” - a line I never thought I’d hear lmao. Bear Country, a team that’s been showcased on Dark recently gets involved and spears Butcher (or Blade? Can’t remember) through a table. Great little moment for them. King & Archer throw some moves and then Archer wins with Black Out. I enjoyed this more than their first meeting.
Match rating - ***
In a pre taped video, FTR have kidnapped Marko Stunt as retaliation for being taken out of the tag team battle royal from earlier tonight. Man, this feud is really taking off and I’m all for it. So much more than I ever expected it would or could be, as said last week when Jungle Boy & Dax tore the house down.
5) Kenny Omega, Karl Anderson, & Doc Gallows vs. Jon Moxley, Rey Fenix, & PAC
Another classic BC/Elite/AEW in general trios match. Omega, Anderson & Gallows are obviously great together and there's so much heat involved in this match with Mox, Fenix & PAC all having longstanding beef with Omega whilst he hides behind his two buddies from another promotion. This is all just perfect from character work/story to in the ring. Fenix goes apeshit on a hot tag here and is literally the most must see guy in this company as far as blowing your mind every time he steps in the ring. Really, though - everyone shined here. Gallows worked hard as hell, PAC, Omega & Fenix were as crisp as ever. Moxley owns his character and was the glue for his team. This match even saw Omega hit Mox with a paradigm shift of his own which was a wild, nice touch considering how long those two have been feuding. The big finish sees The Good Brothers & Omega get the victory with the magic killer on Rey Fenix despite a valiant effort from the babyfaces. Great and crazy main event here.
Match rating - ****
Post match, Lance Archer runs down to stop an extended attack on Rey Fenix. This leaves Mox in the ring alone with Omega. AW HELL. Before Moxley can strike, a masked man attacks him and IT'S KENTA. Ladies and gentleman, when I tell you I was screaming as I lay in my bathtub watching this after a long day of work - I mean, I was screaming. Holy hell. What a moment here to close the show.
So many loose ends to tie up and so many reasons that make you be eager to tune in next week. KENTA is obviously feuding with Moxley over the IWGP US Heavyweight Title on the New Japan side of things, however, they hadn't touched until this past week on NJPW Strong where Moxley showed up and attacked KENTA. This, I guess, should have made this a little more obvious, but it really didn't, seeing as it felt so impossible that we would 1) see a full time NJPW contracted talent on AEW Television and 2) see a current Bullet Club member in the actual Bullet Club in NJPW show up in an angle involving former members of the Bullet Club who've recently reunited. So, for this to happen is exciting and unpredictable on all fronts and for the second time this year, AEW has made me insanely stoked to be a wrestling fan.
After the show on Twitter, Kenny Omega & KENTA have a hilarious segment in the parking lot where Omega says "Switchblade didn't tell me he was sending a guest.." and tries to too sweet KENTA only for KENTA to say "SHUT THE FUCK UP! I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND. I AM HERE TO BEAT JON MOXLEY" --- despite that, Omega & KENTA will team up next week to face Jon Moxley & Lance Archer in a Falls Count Anywhere, Anything Goes Match. God have mercy. Good on AEW for following this huge moment up with something equally as big. They've sorta fell short in that regard in the past few months, but this is a definite step up and I cannot wait for that match next week.
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